Saturday, August 16, 2008

w00t!!!!

8 comments:

Lin Abdul Rahman said...

thanks a million for the update on mrAtoZ. I've been officially stripped of the title of a fanatic :(
No wonder his journal entries have been so sporadic...

NeemoNeemo™ said...

Bukan Melayu. Jangan sokong.

sarahistheone said...

tak menang. sedih

Hali Munan said...

It was unfortunate that Chong Wei didn't win but Lin Dan was clearly the better player, at least in this match. And how awesome was Lin Dan's salute at the end? For a second there, I wondered what it must have felt like to be a Chinese (of China).

It kinda reminds me of when we won the Thomas Cup in 92. I think it must have been the biggest sporting event for me. I remember that night my family and I went out for dinner. I'm pretty sure it was my mom's suggestion as she wasn't much of a sports buff. So on the way in the car, my dad turned on the radio to none other than Hasbullah Awang's mostly redundant but otherwise colourful commentaries. Hasbullah had such a flare for the dramatics that to a primary school boy, it was like listening to Martin Luther King's 'I have a dream' speech. And boy did Hasbullah made it known that he had a dream! Even my mom was glued to the radio for the first time that I can remember and throughout the journey everyone was listening in. My siblings and I didn't even bother playing charades at the back of the car or perform any of our other usual antics that required 'shush'-ing or the excruciating pinch on the thigh from my mom.

When we arrived at the makan place, the owner had on the doubles game with the Sidek brothers and by then we were already leading by 2-1. Of course throughout, Hasbullah Awang's commentaries had reached a new level of 'animation'. He was so sure the brothers would win it for us. I'm pretty sure I believed him too. Hey, it was Dr. King preaching on Malaysian tv. Who wouldn't? So when the food came, nobody really wanted to eat because looking down to guide the spoon into your mouth would mean missing the smash that killed (is this the right term?) the other team's serve or gave the Sidek's their points. Or God forbid, the one that won us the Cup!

Of course we lost the 4th game and the food had barely been touched. I could see that my dad was pretty anxious to get back home and watch the final game on his tv and I was too. My mom must have seen it as well so she stepped in to tell us to eat up so we can watch the finals at home. I never ate so fast my entire life. Pit me against a satay-eating champion and I would have kicked their asses.

On the way back, the finals had already begun. We managed to not miss too much as the old rally scoring system ensured a set lasted 2-3 weeks. Or maybe 1 hour plus. I forgot. It was hilarious watching my dad fumble through the house keys like he really needed to use the toilet. He did. Soon as the door opened, my dad darted through the living room to the toilet while yelling at me to switch on the tv. And there he was. Rashid Sidek. Rashid was leading way ahead of Ardy Wiranata until he began to catch up. He did it several times too I think in the next sets. Teeth grinding and nail biting moments they certainly were.

With every smash and every point scored by Rashid, you'd hear jubilant cries from everyone, not just my dad. I was never a very outspoken person but I believe it was during this match that I first screamed at the tv. It was as if an emotional barrier had broken down because I've been shouting and cussing ever since. Well, no. Not really.

But anyway, we won. wOOt!!!1. Can't quite remember how the rest of the match went but didn't Ardy smash his racket on the ground in the 3rd set and bent it like 47's girlfriend (she's surprisingly flexible) cuz he was so pissed he couldn't return a smash? Good times. Beats anything you can find on tv these days. And wasn't it a public holiday the next day? Hahaha. Better times. Just what the doctor ordered. Cuz I think I wasn't too well from gorging on the satays the night before.

That was probably the first time I felt truly Malaysian. Haven't quite felt it in a long time, especially not lately. Was it because we won the Cup? Seeing all those people in the tv waving the flag? I dunno. Could it have been the honest screaming session? I know I only scream when I feel something's worth shouting for. Maybe it was just the public holiday cuz it ain't Malaysia without the public holidays right?

So when Lin Dan did his salute to his countrymen in the audience and the victory song was playing in the background, I couldn't help but wonder what it would have felt like to be the person the salute was meant for. My question to you is, when was the last time you truly felt Malaysian (or whatever your nationality is) if ever?

farizzet said...

saya cina. sokong!

47 said...

shaz:
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the pleasure is mine :)


neem:
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oops, neem termakan utusan meloya ke? :P


sarah:
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yep same here..same here, sedih jugak. tapi at least dapat juga silver.

cumanya, i was expecting a very spectacular match, yg sedihnya sebab sedikit hambar lah..kan?


farizzet:
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i'm all for a harmonious multiracial and multicultural malaysia!

shenme ren dou keyi, quan bu shi malaixiya ren! :)

SESEORANG said...

tak best sebab memang macam anak ayam betul chong wei kene masa tu.silver memang ikut atas kertas die patut dapat(2nd world ranking).

47 said...

hali munan:
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i feel you man! the last time i felt more malaysian than usual was prolly when i was jumping out of my seat every single time chong wei fumbled that night :)


seseorang:
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yep, match yang agak hambar. tsk..but hey, silver maa..better than none.